3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

87% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 78% Audience Score 1,000+ Ratings

Thieves and rustlers Robert Hightower (John Wayne), Pete Fuerte (Pedro Armendáriz) and the Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Jr.) rob a bank in a small Arizona town. Pursued across the desert by the indefatigable Sheriff Buck Sweet (Ward Bond), the trio lose their horses, suffer injuries, and come across a stranded woman (Mildred Natwick) who is dying while giving birth. Promising to carry the woman's newborn to safety, the repentant criminals struggle to reach the village of New Jerusalem. Read More Read Less

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Critics Reviews

View All (15) Critics Reviews
3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Tom Milne Time Out he last reel, with Wayne explicitly identified as the Prodigal Son and a general collapse into mawkishness, might almost have strayed in from another movie. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review 3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Bosley Crowther New York Times There are humor and honest tear-jerking in this visually beautiful film. Rated: 4/5 Mar 25, 2006 Full Review 3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Ford and cinematographer Hoch beautifully capture 3 Godfather's Western scenery in Technicolor. Rated: 3.5/5 Apr 18, 2024 Full Review 3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Comic antics ensue -- think Three Men and a Baby with saddle sores instead of Tom Selleck -- but the film eventually turns grim. Rated: 3/4 Apr 10, 2024 Full Review 3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Patrick McDonald HollywoodChicago.com Two Western film icons at their peak ... director John Ford and John Wayne ... deliver both a cowpoke picture and a metaphoric Christmas story in classic MGM studio fashion. Glorious on-location Technicolor and the Duke at his Duke-est. Pat&Ken Holiday! Rated: 4/4 Dec 13, 2023 Full Review 3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Elsa Branden Photoplay The standout scene is a desert sandstorm so real you can almost feel the hot sand cutting your face. Rated: 1/3 Aug 20, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (110) audience reviews

Alec B Ford leans into the sentimentality a bit too much here but it is compelling for stretches, especially in those sequences where the characters desperately wander the desert. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/24 Full Review Audience Member Funny and original; LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Ford leans into the sentimentality a bit too much here but it is compelling for stretches, especially in those sequences where the characters desperately wander the desert. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member In an entertaining drama/melodrama, John Wayne plays the lead in a cinematographically beautiful film directed by John Ford. It's a Western retelling of the Christmas Story, where three run-away bank robbers take the place of the three wise men. Pretty soon hunted by a relentless band of lawmen, they are saddled with responsibility for saving the life of an infant boy, as they try to escape across the desert. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review deke p Never heard of until saw (most) on late nite TV, dec 2019. Very different. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Without a doubt this is the best John Ford movie I have seen. John Wayne, Harry Carey Jr, and Pedro Armendariz put on an excellent preformance as the likable, admirable bank robbers that take responsibility of a newborn. There are no fake backgrounds in this movie; the beautiful scenery supports the gradual increase of meaningful scenarios throughout the emotion filled plot line. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews

3 Godfathers

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Cast & Crew

John Ford Director John Wayne Robert Marmaduke Hightower Pedro Armendáriz Pedro 'Pete' Roca Fuerte Harry Carey Jr. William Kearney Ward Bond Perley "Buck" Sweet Mildred Natwick The Mother
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3 Godfathers

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Synopsis Thieves and rustlers Robert Hightower (John Wayne), Pete Fuerte (Pedro Armendáriz) and the Abilene Kid (Harry Carey Jr.) rob a bank in a small Arizona town. Pursued across the desert by the indefatigable Sheriff Buck Sweet (Ward Bond), the trio lose their horses, suffer injuries, and come across a stranded woman (Mildred Natwick) who is dying while giving birth. Promising to carry the woman's newborn to safety, the repentant criminals struggle to reach the village of New Jerusalem.

Director
John Ford

Producer
John Ford, Merian C. Cooper

Screenwriter
Laurence Stallings, Frank S. Nugent

Production Co
Argosy Productions Corporation

Genre
Western

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 25, 1948, Limited

Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2009

Runtime
1h 46m
Most Popular at Home Now
3 Godfathers (1948) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

Who was the baby in the 1948 movie 3 Godfathers? ›

3 Godfathers (1948) - Amelia Yelda as Robert William Pedro Hightower (the Baby) - IMDb.

How many versions of The Three Godfathers are there? ›

The Three Godfathers is a Christmas story with a Western setting. Most Western fans are familiar with the 1948 version, 3 Godfathers, that starred John Wayne and was directed by John Ford. It may come as a surprise to learn that there have been no less than six versions of the story, including the 1974 TV movie.

Why were three godfathers dedicated to Harry Carey? ›

This is a remake of the silent film The Three Godfathers (1916), which starred Ford's long-time friend Harry Carey. When Carey died in 1947, Ford decided to remake the story in Technicolor and dedicate the film to his memory.

What year was 3 Godfathers made? ›

3 Godfathers is a 1948 American Western film in Technicolor directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Pedro Armendáriz and Harry Carey Jr.. The screenplay was written by Frank S. Nugent and Laurence Stallings based on the 1913 novelette The Three Godfathers by Peter B. Kyne.

Who was the baby at the end of The Godfather? ›

Michael is becoming a godfather in two senses—to his niece, and to his mafia family. We open in the church, far away and cutting closer and closer in to Connie's baby (played by Coppola's now director-daughter Sofia).

How does the movie 3 Godfathers end? ›

They get away with the money but as the are about to ride off out of town,the lawmen come running out of their office and shoot William off of his horse. Robert pulls him up onto the back of his and they get away. Buck and his men pursue them across the desert and Buck shoots their water bag without them realizing.

Where was the 1948 movie 3 Godfathers filmed? ›

The film was shot on location in Death Valley, CA, with some additional shooting in Lone Pine, CA. HR also notes that some filming was set to take place at RKO's Culver City studios. As noted above, other screen adaptations of Kyne's story include the 1916 Bluebird film The Three Godfathers, directed by Edward J.

Who played Curly in Three Godfathers? ›

Hank Worden: Deputy Curly.

Who sang in The Three Godfathers? ›

Performed by Harry Carey Jr.

Is Harry Carey Jr related to Harry Carey? ›

Mini Bio. Harry Carey, Jr., had been reliable character actor for decades, mostly in Westerns, before he retired. He is the son of the actor Harry Carey and the actress Olive Carey.

Was Olive Carey related to Harry Carey? ›

Olive Carey (born Olive Fuller Golden; January 31, 1896 – March 13, 1988) was an American film and television actress, and the mother of actor Harry Carey Jr. New York City, U.S.

How many Godfathers are made? ›

“The Godfather” is an American film series consisting of three crime drama films directed by Francis Ford Coppola and distributed by Paramount Pictures.

What year was Godfather 3 supposed to be? ›

Plot. In 1979, Michael Corleone is approaching 60. Wracked with guilt over his ruthless rise to power, especially for having ordered his brother Fredo Corleone's murder, he donates millions to charitable causes. Michael and Kay are divorced; their children, Anthony and Mary, live with Kay.

What year was the original Godfather made? ›

Recent News. The Godfather, American gangster epic film, released in 1972, that was adapted from the 1969 best-selling novel by Mario Puzo and has been regarded as a masterpiece since its release.

Who played the baby in The Godfather? ›

Biography. The daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola, Sofia made her first film appearance in The Godfather as the infant Michael Rizzi. She also played an uncredited role as a girl on the ship which carried Vito Corleone to New York.

Who are the children in Godfather 3? ›

Yes, Michael Corleone, the main character played by Al Pacino in "The Godfather" film series, had two children in the third and final film, "The Godfather Part III". His daughter's name was Mary, played by Sofia Coppola, and his son's name was Anthony, played by Franc D'Ambrosio.

Who was the baby christening in The Godfather? ›

Sophia Coppola was actually in all three Godfather movies! Sophia, who was born in 1971, played the role of Michael Francis Rizzi (son of Connie Corleone) in the baptism scene at the end of The Godfather (1972). She also played the little girl on the steamboat in The Godfather: Part II (1974).

Who played Baby Santino in Godfather 2? ›

Santino "Sonny" Corleone

In the film, Sonny was portrayed by James Caan, who reprised his role for a flashback scene in The Godfather Part II. Roman Coppola played Sonny as a boy in the 1920s scenes of The Godfather Part II. Sonny's hot-tempered nature eventually leads to his early death.

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